He Was A Student Once
by Amles80
Summary: Conrad and Günter talk about the past and Yozak overhears the conversation. Because Günter/Conrad is a thing! Why aren't there more fics based on ep 88? Please tell me I'm not alone. I'll call this "general/romance" although it's not really THAT romantic.


"It's funny, isn't it", Conrad mused one early morning, "how time changes people."

He had been instructing Yuuri – who was getting better with his sword every day – and lingered on the courtyard when Yuuri left to have breakfast with Wolfram and Greta. The one who replied was Günter who had, as so often, been observing the training session.

"Is that so?" the older man smiled. "To what exactly are you referring?"

"Well, just look at you…" Conrad returned the smile, half teasingly, half affectionately. "I mean, we all love Yuuri, of course, but you're, um, displaying your affection more blatantly than most…"

Conrad believed that it was only the fact that Günter was so inot/i discreet, almost childishly devoted to the boy, that prevented Wolfram from being seriously jealous.

"Yes", Günter replied calmly. "What's your point?"

Conrad shrugged; he hadn't really meant to speak aloud, the words had just sort of left his mouth without permission from his brain. Now that Günter looked at him with such attention, though, he couldn't escape. He might roll his eyes at the man's behaviour sometimes but he, just like anyone else, would never make the mistake to underestimate his intelligence.

"I'm just thinking about when we were at the academy together", he said. "You have, undoubtedly, always been a kind and loving soul deep down, but back then, you were kinda strict and level-headed, as a teacher. Imagine how people would have talked if you had looked at any of your students with the same kind of starry eyes as you look at Yuuri now."

Günter sighed and gazed into the blue morning sky as if he tried to see the past.

"I imagine", he said, "that they would have laughed their heads off, yes, you're quite right…"

He turned his eyes back at Conrad and put a light and elegant – but still very strong – hand on his arm.

"I found it liberating to retire from the military academy", he said. "But Conrad, just because clouds covered the stars in the past there's no reason to believe that they weren't there."

Conrad blushed at the sudden rush of emotions – where did they come from all of a sudden? Günter looked at him with such warm affection that he didn't know how to react. If it had been the almost religious devotion Günter reserved for Yuuri, then he might have been able to laugh it off… but it was not that.

He gulped slightly, realizing there were many things they had never really talked about.

"You were probably the best instructor of your generation", Conrad said. "I don't think I'm too bad myself, but… why don't iyou/i spend more time teaching Yuuri the ways of the sword?"

Günter slowly shook his head.

"It is not my place to do so. And you're doing just fine on your own. Besides, in every teacher's life, if they are fortunate enough, there comes one student who distinguishes himself among all others. I believe that I already met that student and taught him all that I could, years ago."

Conrad almost gasped for air and he felt a strange pride and joy in his heart. His cheeks were burning as he searched for words but didn't find any; Günter didn't look like he expected him to say anything.

"But surely you know this already", he said with a kind and all-knowing little smile. "I must go and prepare for Yuuri's history lesson."

Günter turned and began to walk away. Conrad stayed, feeling as if he had won and lost something at the same time. Maybe he did know, but had he truly known when he was younger, and if he had, why hadn't some things in their life been different?

"Conrad has a teacher crush, Conrad has a teacher crush!"

There were only two people in the world who would ever use that kind of teasing sing-song voice to him, and one of them was gone from this world.

Sure enough, when Conrad looked up, he saw Yozak hiding in the shadow of a tree.

"Shut up", Conrad muttered. "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Gwendal's orders", his friend replied cheerfully. "Seriously, though… You're not jealous, are you? Your ex-teacher and the kiddo?"

"Certainly not!" Conrad snapped. "I don't even know what you're talking about."

Yozak laughed.

"Günter's right, you know. What you two had, and probably still have, is something special and Yuuri won't take that away from you."

"Drop. This. Subject. Right now."

It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous, and Conrad didn't want to hear one more word about it. He walked away, leaving Yozak to mind his own business, in the direction of the stables where he wouldn't have to engage in pointless chit-chat.

But when he was sitting on the horseback, quickly putting distance between himself and the castle but no distance at all between himself and his own thoughts, he admitted to himself there was something – not jealousy, though; never that! – that had made him say all that to Günter.

And he had to admit that he was kind of pleased with the way his ex-teacher had responded.


End file.
